Gopro sailing camera

Chris Patterson · Dec 28, 2013

There's one more small thing I forgot to mention. My wife is in the pharmaceutical business, ie: VERY high up on the corporate level; and they run XP system-wide. Her decisions are in the millions every day. It might be important, it sounds like. I'm gathering her IT department has some small idea of what they're doing.

And it's probably not because they can't afford an upgrade.

(Or care much if the latest whiz-bang kiddy toy will work with it or not).

Chris Patterson · Dec 28, 2013

Oh good lord, I didn't mean to close down the thread being an ass. Carry on.

(Just cause they ain't MY cuppa tea don't mean nuthin)..

Crackaloon · Dec 28, 2013

Chris, I know what you mean about the updates and it's a pain. The whole (easy) editing of video combined with the updates to get it to talk discouraged me from being a great videographer. I pull out the card, put it in the computer and pull the files off. I won't trouble myself with an update unless even that doesn't work, or I'm sure I want an extra headache. I own it now, I see others doing all kinds of things, but if I had to do it over again I would have picked something else....I'm not a pro apparently.

justsomeguy · Dec 28, 2013

I want to party with Chris. Love the AN2.

Chris Patterson · Dec 28, 2013

Hehe. The ol' Colt, baby. Damn bird so tough I think you could land that old Bi on 'er back. At least try and get it back toward Roatan before you try it, it's a real ugly section of planet. Wanna job? The pay ain't bad, but it's kind of difficult to explain to a wife. Advancement opportunities are hard won too.

I don't know, quite obviously I'm very hard on this kind of stuff, and I've often wondered if things of this nature would have made my job any easier. It's very doubtful THIS would work out much, my equipment tended to be very expensive, proprietary, and bullet proof. A Mil-Spec 810 standard would be a start.

Ya know, just dumb things irritate me though. Like the "big thing" about FLIR. For the love of God. It means 'Forward Looking Infra-Red" It was developed for use under a slick, and rotated on a ball gimbal so that it could follow the operator, instead of how the pilot rolled. I mean, what OTHER damn direction would a hand held night scope be looking, back behind you? Sounds cool. But nothing very new for the exception of optics, thanks again Red, you guys really DO pretty work, despite what our propaganda machine would like you to believe.

But these gro-pros make me wonder why anyone would go to so much trouble to make a fecebook video for people that more or less couldn't care at all.
But if your heart is set on making pictures for fun and profit, there is a need for that individual. I wouldn't recommend it for the nervous sort..

*I'll bet you guys will be glad when I get over this pneumonia, or at least have the good graces to die. The wife made me come back home to rest, and this laptop is about all there is to do. She's contracted out every job there is to do around here, I told her to just hire somebody to live in the house and we'll never even have to see it again. She didn't think it was funny as I did*

Meriachee · Dec 28, 2013

Chris, one (or maybe two) valid reasons for video: sail trim, and hardware placement/operation. I'm not talking xyz class racing boats, but just us regular schmucks out on the water doing our thing. All the theory in the world is great, up to the application, and the trusty gopro delivers that.

topman · Dec 30, 2013

bananabender56 said:
Haven't tried it underwater but the wifi pack does allow you to have video in real time on your iPad.
Anyone tried this underwater? ( with iPad in cockpit of course)

We have used ours to look at our hull and zincs. Works great but wifi stops when underwater. We had to wait until we got home to view, but great picture.
My son uses his all the time weather out racing or just bombing around in the dingy. Next he wants to put it in our crab pot . There is also someone on YouTube that has flown it on a kite behind a J 24 to give the full Ariel effect.

bananabender56 · Dec 30, 2013

Can't wait to try it on a pole

justsomeguy · Dec 30, 2013

bananabender56 said:
Can't wait to try it on a pole

Hekuva straight line, there!

Hawk IP · Jan 1, 2014

GoPro Sailing Vieos in Hawaii

Most of these were filmed with a gopro2 until recently, now I use a GoPro3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAGzdMS1vsM

We swam with dolphins in this one. I didn't have my flat lens waterproof case on so the underwater images are not clear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8l5wPl8UfI

This was our day sail to Kahana Bay. It was so beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ablskc5aq-8

gettinthere · Jan 1, 2014

A little ditty I did with a gopro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP33bMxzWEo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Delezynski · Jan 1, 2014

gettinthere said:
A little ditty I did with a gopro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP33bMxzWEo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

NICE ONE!!!!!!!

Greg

StinkBug · Jan 1, 2014

Just a note about the other cameras out there. There are now a few GoPro knockoffs that are a LOT cheaper and have the same or more features. I recently picked up an ematic sportcam for $70 that is 1080p just like my GoPro, is housed in a case just like my GoPro, and basically has all the same specs, but also has a touch screen on the back so you're not left guessing if it's aimed where you want it.

It was $70, not $300. Comparing videos side by side you can see differences, but not enough to bother you if they weren't directly side by side. I use them on my motorcycles and with a GoPro on the front and the ematic on the back you can edit the videos together and the only giveaway that they aren't the same type of camera is the time stamp in the corner on the cheap one.

Sailvayu · Jan 2, 2014

Chris you might enjoy a recent post on my blog http://sailvayu.com/man-machine/

As for the GoPro it is a special purpose sports camera and works well for that but is not a GP use video camera. I do not have one but am planning to get one. I might suggest if anyone is thinking of getting one and is not sure it is right for them buy a used one. If it works well then get a new one if you find it is not right just resell it.

Chris Patterson · Jan 2, 2014

Very well put, Wayne. I've gotta get around there and drink some of Mona Black's water, Sam's water up here is starting to affect me..

Sailvayu · Jan 2, 2014

Chris if you are up at Sam's place you better be careful thats where boats and old men go to die! A little salt water does a sailor's soul good but that brackish water is poison!

Chris Patterson · Jan 2, 2014

Got that right Wayne. That was my Ericson rafted up to the barge opposite Patricks boat, Stella-Maris you looked at I think. I came up here a couple of months ago to do a little upfit, and to get out of Southport for a minute, it's starting to get a tad crowded for me there. A couple more doo-dads, and a small weather window I'm going somewhere for awhile. Honestly, that kind of spooks me to hear you say that, because I'm inclined to agree. Sam will PUT an old wretched rag on the hill here, won't he? It's a junk-yard alright..

(I'm also thinking about offering a hundred large for the Panta Ray just to get wife off my back about a bigger boat, THAT oughta do it. It ain't worth 140)..

Sorry guys, it seems like I'm trying my best to sidetrack this thread, but no, sorry, carry on. For what it's worth, I decided to go on a little retail therapy today, and ended up at The Evil Empire. Ye GODS, I'll build a coal fired power generating plant on board before I would buy an inverter there. But..they had the Go Pro as well. I was for a second surprised, but boating must be a huge player in the market for those cameras, because hoping not to send this on a 'I hate west marine' frenzy, they really don't have much merchandise that you would say is not SOMEHOW boating related. When I pointed it out to lovely bride, (her not knowing anything about this discussion, and couldn't care less), she said, "If you want it, I'll buy one for you". After all that trash mouthing I did earlier about them, I had to say no, even if on principal alone. But even she knew me enough to know that after a couple weeks fooling with something like that, I'd end up smashing it against a batter pile or something. Save yer money baby, let's go to Mayfair and spend five hundred bucks on some baskets instead. We did. She's happy, and so am I.

I'll try to take some pictures of some baskets for ya'll..

Sailvayu · Jan 3, 2014

Chris, wish I had known that was you would have said hello. Pat is a nice kid and I hope he does well in his travels.

Back to the camera I would suggest anyone looking at one of these do a bit of research as they are not all the same. The hero 3 comes in white, silver, and black. The black has the best image resolution while the white is lowest. Some have WiFI and some do not. I would think on a boat the silver with wifi remote would be the best but once again i do not have one yet so cannot say for sure. This is just what I have learned checking around

Kermit · Jan 3, 2014

Terry in Naples said:
What are the rest of you using?

My First Mate and I came *this close* to buying a Hero 3+ black. I talked her out of buying it for me for Christmas since I really don't need one. I realized I'd spend more time screwing around with the camera than with actually sailing. Here's a video I posted to YouTube. Used my iPhone 4.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DHviVOE9-aM&fmt=18&desktop_uri=/watch?v=DHviVOE9-aM&fmt=18

Not great quality but really... How often will any of us use it? I *do* use my Sony hi-def video camera for the truly truly important things. Granddaughters' dance recitals, grandson's baseball games and baptisms.